second only to

idiom

: only less important than (something or someone)
Rice is second only to corn as the state's major crop.

Examples of second only to in a Sentence

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Of the 11 sectors that make up the broad S&P 500 index, tech was one of the big losers, second only to the consumer discretionary sector, which is anchored by Amazon. Andrea Riquier, USA TODAY, 27 Dec. 2024 Boston relievers blew 31 saves, second only to the Chicago White Sox, who blew 37 on a team that lost a record 121 games. Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024 This puts him second only to Trump during the president-elect's first term, when many of his nominees encountered substantial opposition. Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 19 Dec. 2024 In a global outlook report released Friday, Nomura said that its U.S. economics team expects changes to the de minimis rule to be a key trade priority for the Trump administration, perhaps second only to hiking tariffs. Dylan Butts, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for second only to 

Dictionary Entries Near second only to

Cite this Entry

“Second only to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second%20only%20to. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.

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